Neuroscientist shares must-know trick to boost your chances of a successful date (and it’s not what you might think)
- Looking into someone’s left eye can promote emotional connection, said Dr. Tara Swart
- It is statistically the most likely factor to create an ’emotional resonance loop’
If dating often feels like an unsolvable puzzle, you’re not alone.
But now a neurologist has revealed an important trick that can help you build a lasting bond with a potential lover – and it’s very simple.
Look into their left eye.
Dr. Tara Swart, associate professor of behavioral sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, used an example of someone rocking their baby to explain her logic.
Speaking to The Diary of a CEO podcast, she told host Steven Bartlett: ‘Most people are right-handed, so they hold their baby in their left arm so they can use their dominant hand to do things.
Dr. Tara Swart (pictured), associate professor of behavioral sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, used an example of someone rocking their baby to explain why looking into someone’s left eye could help you make a lasting connection
Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast, she told host Steven Bartlett (pictured): ‘Most people are right-handed, so they hold their baby in their left arm so they can use their dominant hand to do things.
‘That means when you look at your baby, your right eye is looking at the left side and the optic nerve interaction is going through the brain.
‘It affects the amygdala, where emotions come from.
“It creates an emotional resonance loop that is part of the bond between mother and baby.”
Dr. Swart, who is also an author, added: “So that right eye-left eye contact is the most connecting eye contact you can have with someone.
“If I’m trying to connect with someone, that’s statistically the most likely connection to create a good resonance between you.
“Now you might say, oh, but my mother was left-handed, or you could be left-handed.
“But if I take a chance on building that bond with someone, that’s statistically the most likely way to create a good resonance between you.”
Responding to her explanation, podcast host Steven Bartlett labeled it “super interesting” and added: “So for anyone listening to this right now, whether they’re at work, in sales, looking for a partner, it is a neat trick to look into someone’s left eye’.
When asked whether Dr. Swart had walked into the studio and looked in his left eye, she replied: ‘I waited until we sat down.
‘I gave you a hug, you gave me a hug.
“We laughed about a few things before we got on the air.
“Those kinds of things raise levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin, which makes you more likely to let down your guard, trust the person and take a healthy risk.”
Oxytocin, often called the ‘love hormone’, helps regulate emotional responses and is produced in the hypothalamus part of the brain and secreted into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland.
Studies have also shown that oxytocin may also have anxiolytic properties, meaning it can help reduce anxiety.
Other tips for creating stronger emotional bonds include “appropriate physical interaction,” such as handshakes, kisses or hugs, Dr. Swart noted.
“Depending on the appropriateness of it, a minimal handshake, maybe a hug, maybe a kiss on the cheek, depending on the situation you’re in,” she said.
“The more physical touch you can get, the better.”